Thursday, May 17, 2012

Cons Shoot the Messenger

"They" are the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. The message advocated introduction of a carbon tax to reduce emissions. For that the independent advisory group's funding has been axed.

Environment Minister Peter Kent had initially said the reason for the closure was because such research can now be easily accessed through the Internet, and through universities and other think tanks.

But Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said Monday the shuttering of the round table had more to do with the content of the research itself.

"'Why should taxpayers have to pay for more than 10 reports promoting a carbon tax, something that the people of Canada have repeatedly rejected? That is a message the Liberal Party just will not accept,' Baird said in response to a question by Liberal Leader Bob Rae during question period.

"'It should agree with Canadians. It should agree with the government. No discussion of a carbon tax that would kill and hurt Canadian families.'"

When exactly have Canadians "repeatedly rejected" a carbon tax? When were they ever given the opportunity? Dion, in opposition, tried to raise the idea once but it died in an electoral ambush.

What are these characters, North Koreans? The entire Harper cabinet functions like a politbureau. If the message doesn't "agree with the government," it's off with their heads. What's next, a gulag?

The problem is that the National Round Table of the Environment and the Economy looked for ideas that would be of benefit to Canada's environment and Canada's economy, instead of benefit for the foreign multinationals favoured by Harper and friends.

It's possible that a carbon tax would be beneficial to Canada even ignoring the environmental impacts. Margins are tight, and the cost of transportation across the ocean is already consuming some of the "Made In China" profits. A carbon tax in Canada plus a good old-fashioned Conservative tariff on non-compliant imports could bring back "Made In Canada" manufacturing for the domestic market.